U.S. patent number 4,233,909 [Application Number 05/890,984] was granted by the patent office on 1980-11-18 for railway car assembly composed of a series of articulately interconnected cars.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Itel Corporation. Invention is credited to Michael B. Adams, John A. Angold, Robert B. Morrison, Robert E. Zimmerman.
United States Patent |
4,233,909 |
Adams , et al. |
November 18, 1980 |
Railway car assembly composed of a series of articulately
interconnected cars
Abstract
A series of relatively lightweight, short, articulately
interconnected cars is disclosed for transporting trailers or other
cargo containers on a railway. The interior cars of the series
include a center sill which constitutes a narrow width underframe
and a length substantially equal to the length of a car, a pair of
end sills connected perpendicularly to the center sill at opposite
ends thereof and having a width extending beyond each side of the
center sill, support members interconnecting the ends of the end
sills with the center sill, and male and female portions of an
articulated connector respectively attached to each end of a car.
End cars have one end, constructed similarly, but are provided with
conventional semi-automatic couplings on the other end in place of
a portion of the articulated connector. The articulated connectors
are mounted on a single conventional railway truck which spans the
adjacent ends of interconnected cars and further supports the
support members. Special configurations of the cars are disclosed
for use in a trailer-on-flatcar (TOFC) and container-on-flatcar
(COFC) environments.
Inventors: |
Adams; Michael B. (Western
Springs, IL), Angold; John A. (Naperville, IL), Morrison;
Robert B. (Topeka, KS), Zimmerman; Robert E. (Topeka,
KS) |
Assignee: |
Itel Corporation (San
Francisco, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
25397422 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/890,984 |
Filed: |
March 28, 1978 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
105/4.1;
410/4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B61D
3/14 (20130101); B61D 3/184 (20130101); B61F
5/16 (20130101); B61F 3/12 (20130101); B61F
3/125 (20130101); Y02T 30/00 (20130101); Y02T
30/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B61D
3/18 (20060101); B61D 3/00 (20060101); B61D
3/14 (20060101); B61F 5/16 (20060101); B61F
3/00 (20060101); B61F 5/02 (20060101); B61F
3/12 (20060101); B61F 001/00 (); B65D 017/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;105/4,368R,368S,4R
;410/4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Modern Railroads, Apr. 1962, "Compact" Car Reduces Piggy
Cost..
|
Primary Examiner: Bertsch; Richard A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stevens, Davis, Miller &
Mosher
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A railway car comprising at least two railway car units
connected end to end by an articulated connector having mating male
and female members, said ends of said car units being mounted on a
single truck assembly which spans the space between said ends, each
of said car units comprising a center sill which extends
substantially the entire length of the car unit, a first of said
mating members of said articulated connector fixed to one of said
car units and a second of said mating members fixed to a second of
said car units, an end sill disposed transversely on each of said
car units and extending substantially symmetrically from the center
sill, a side bearing support member extending from respective sides
of the center sill at points spaced from the said end of each car
unit and extending longitudinally between car units, said single
truck assembly comprising a pair of side frames holding a pair of
axles having wheels mounted thereon, a truck bolster disposed
between and extending substantially parallel to said axles for
supporting said articulated connector, a side bearing support
member on said bolster on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis
of the bolster, and one pair of side bearings disposed on each of
said bearing support members, each pair of side bearings on the
same side of said longitudinal axis of the bolster supporting said
pair of side bearing support members of one of said interconnected
car units.
2. The railway car of claim 1 wherein the car units have only a
short platform on each side of the center sill for supporting cargo
thereby eliminating heavy underframe support.
3. The railway car of claim 1 wherein the car units have a skeleton
structure.
4. The railway car of claim 3 wherein at least one car unit is
adapted to carry a trailer of a highway tractor-trailer rig and has
a platform disposed at a height below that of the railway truck
wheels whereby the carried trailer has a low profile and offers
reduced air resistance with accompanying reduction in fuel
consumption.
5. The railway car of claim 3 wherein the lengths of the car units
are coordinated with the length of the cargo whereby the gap
between cargoes on adjacent car units is small and air resistance
is reduced.
6. A railway car comprising a series of railway car units connected
end to end by articulated connectors having male and female mating
members, a single railway truck assembly which spans the space
between adjacent car unit ends with adjacent ends of said railway
car units mounted thereon, each of said car units being of a length
approximately equal to that of a cargo trailer to be carried
thereby and comprising a center sill extending substantially the
entire length of the car unit, one mating member of said
articulated connector fixed on one end of each car unit and a
second of said mating members fixed to a second car unit, an end
sill disposed transversely on each car unit and extending
symmetrically beyond the width of said center sill, a pair of side
bearing support members extending from respective sides of said
center sill at a point spaced from said one end to respective ends
of said end sill and extending longitudinally between car units,
and a railway truck coupled to the other end of said center sill,
said single railway truck assembly comprising a pair of side frames
holding a pair of axles having wheels mounted thereon, a truck
bolster disposed between and extending substantially parallel to
said axles for supporting said articulated connector, a side
bearing support member on said bolster on opposite sides of the
longitudinal axis of said bolster, and side bearings disposed on
each of the side bearing support members, each side bearing on the
same side of said longitudinal axis supporting said pair of side
bearing support members of one of said interconnected car units,
said car unit having only a short platform on each side of said
center sill at one end adjacent and offset from the wheels of said
truck assembly to support wheels of a cargo trailer at a height
approximately the same as that of said truck assembly wheels, and a
trailer hitch mounted on said center sill substantially over the
articulated connector whereby the weight of the cargo trailer is
supported by opposite ends of the car unit adjacent the railway
trucks and the front of a trailer may extend beyond said trailer
hitch to a position to minimize the gap with the rear of a trailer
on a preceding car unit.
7. A railway car comprising at least two railway car units mounted
on a single railway truck assembly which spans the gap between car
units, said car units being connected together by an articulated
connector having mating members and mounted on said single truck
assembly, each said car unit comprising a center sill extending
substantially the entire length of said car unit, each said center
sill also comprising a pair of platforms, one connected to each
side of said center sill located substantially lower than the top
of said center sill and positioned between railway truck assemblies
at a height below the height of the railway truck wheels, and a
trailer hitch disposed at a location on said center sill of each
unit of said car assembly near the centerline of the said
articulated connector, one mating member of said articulated
connector fixed on one end of one of said car units and a second
mating member disposed fixed to a second of said car unit ends, an
end sill disposed transversely on each of the car units and
extending symmetrically of said center sill, a pair of side bearing
support members extending from respective sides of said center sill
at a point parallel with said center sill and dimensionally
compatible with said truck assembly side bearing supports on a
truck bolster, each pair of side bearing support members on each
car unit of said railway car assembly being directly opposed in a
horizontal and vertical plane of alignment, said single railway
truck assembly comprising a pair of side frames holding a pair of
axles having wheels mounted thereon, a truck bolster disposed
between and extending longitudinally substantially parallel to said
axles for supporting said articulated connector, a side bearing
support disposed on said bolster, and two pairs of side bearings
with one pair disposed on each said bearing support on opposite
sides of the longitudinal axis of said bolster, each pair of side
bearings on the same side of said longitudinal axis supporting said
pair of side bearing support members of one of said interconnected
units, said car units each having only short platforms on each side
of the center sill as the deck of the said unit.
8. The railway car of claim 1, 6 or 7 wherein said truck bolster
comprises extensions for mounting said side bearings.
9. The railway car of claim 1, 6 or 7, wherein said side bearing
support members are symmetrical on each side of the center-line of
the said articulated connector.
10. The railway car of claim 1, 6 or 7, wherein each of said side
bearings comprises a housing, a pair of resilient elements mounted
in said housing, said resilient elements being of different
heights, and a roller positioned between said resilient
elements.
11. The railway car of claim 1, 6, or 7, wherein one end of said
car units carries a male member of said articulated connector and
the other end carries a female member.
12. The railway car of claim 1, or 7, wherein car units are
interconnected with one another by a series of said articulated
connectors and associated single truck assemblies and wherein the
end car units of said series have at their outermost ends railway
trucks and semi-automatic coupling members and the interior car
units of said series have on opposite ends complementary portions
of said articulated connector.
13. The railway car of claim 12 wherein two to twelve car units are
provided in said series.
14. The railway car of claim 12 adapted to carry a cargo
container.
15. The railway car of claim 14 wherein the container is
refrigerated.
16. A railway car as in claim 12 wherein each of said car units is
adapted to carry a trailer of a tractor-trailer rig and the length
of each car unit substantially equals the length of said carried
trailer.
17. The railway car of claim 16 wherein at least one of said car
units is adapted to carry a container on said center sill and
support bolsters.
18. The railway car of claim 17 wherein at least one car unit
comprises load supporting bolsters extending outwardly of said
center sill.
19. The railway car of claim 16 wherein the the trailer is
refrigerated.
20. The railway car of claim 16 wherein the said car units have
only a partial deck and are adapted to carry a trailer, and further
comprise a platform mounted on said center sills near one end
thereof for carrying a trailer bogie, and a trailer hitch mounted
on the other end of said center sill at a position over said common
truck assembly, said trailer hitch being positioned such that the
front of a trailer mounted on said car units projects over said
articulated connector and a portion of the next connected unit.
21. The railway car of claim 16 or 19 wherein end units comprise
end of car cushioning members for said semi-automatic coupling
members.
22. The railway car of claim 21 wherein said cushioning members are
hydraulic cushioning devices.
23. The railway car of claim 21 wherein said cushioning members are
draft gears.
24. The railway car of claim 21 wherein said platform has a top
surface upon which a trailer bogie rests, said surface being below
the level of the top-most portion of the wheels of said single
truck assembly.
25. The railway car of claim 24 wherein said wheels are
substantially 28 inches in diameter.
26. The railway car of claim 24 or 25 wherein said platform is
provided on a longitudinally adjustable saddle which is adapted to
move along said center sill.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The sharply increased cost of locomotive fuel in the past several
years has caused increased efforts in the railroad industry to
reduce tare weight of rolling stock, since fuel consumption is
related to the gross weight of the shipment (train plus cargo).
While reduced weight is an important consideration in any type of
shipment, it is especially important in piggyback (highway trailer
or container carried on a flatcar hereinafter TOFC and COFC,
respectively) shipments, where the tare weight of the trailer or
container is in addition to the tare weight of the flatcar. This
"double tare" weight handicaps the rail mode of transportation in
its competitive position, via a vis highway transportation for
containerized cargo, even though the latter is generally considered
to be less efficient in its use of fuel.
Piggyback traffic is generally carried on flatcars of 85 to 89 feet
in length. These cars can readily handle two trailers or containers
40 feet long; however, in recent years, the 45-foot highway trailer
has come into popular use and presently constitutes a large
percentage of the total production of highway trailers. Obviously,
two 45-foot trailers cannot be carried on an 89-foot flatcar, and
it often happens that only one 45-foot trailer is carried on an
89-foot car, thereby further reducing the fuel efficiency of the
operation.
The construction of longer cars to accommodate two 45-foot trailers
or containers to remedy this problem is impossible because the
railroad industry through its industry association, the Association
of American Railroads (AAR), has placed a length limit of 89 feet,
4 inches on any cars constructed in the future. This length
restriction is necessary because of operating problems inherent in
long cars having long end overhang (beyond the railway trucks).
Typically, the cars tend to pull off curves in conditions of heavy
pull and to jack-knife under heavy buff forces. Additionally, the
geometry of long cars causes them to track poorly, and with the
long end overhang there is a tendency for the air hose connections
between cars to separate in operation and cause an emergency
application of the train air brakes. Still further, long cars must
be made quite heavy in order to support the carried weight which is
concentrated at the center of the car where the adjacent ends of
the two containers or trailers are supported, thereby adding
further construction expense and burdens to the pulling
equipment.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to improve the
efficiency of piggyback equipment by providing a unique railway car
assembly having the ability to transport a number of trailers or
containers less expensively than heretofore possible.
Another object of the invention is to provide railway car assembly
which may economically and easily carry variously sized trailers or
containers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a railway car
assembly having improved overall operating characteristics.
Another object of the invention is to provide a more streamlined
piggyback railway car assembly which reduces potential lading
damage and pilferage.
Still further, another object of the invention is to provide a
basic railway car which is less expensive to build, less costly to
maintain and will cost less to operate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are achieved by a railway car assembly
which comprises a series of specially designed short skeleton cars
semi-permanently connected with an articulated connector. The
articulated connector has a male portion attached to one end of the
individual car units, which mates with a female portion attached to
the end of an adjacent car unit. The female portion of the
connector also has a male center plate cast integrally therewith
which mates into the center bowl of a conventional freight car
truck bolster, through which the car weight is carried into the car
truck. The car truck is located so as to span adjacent ends of the
interconnected cars, i.e., is common to two cars.
The outer end of the outer car units in the series is carried by a
single axle or conventional twin axle truck in a similar manner to
conventional rail freight equipment. A conventional freight car
semi-automatic coupler is used at the outer ends of the end car
units for interconnecting the series of cars with conventional
railway equipment, and conventional or end-of-car cushioning
devices may be used in combination therewith.
Any number of individual car units may be semi-permanently
connected together, although a practical limit for reasons of
maintenance, truck capacity, etc., is of the order of six to twelve
individual car units per semi-permanently connected section of
cars.
Individual car units are constructed with a center sill extending
substantially the entire length of a car. Opposite ends of the
center sill are attached to respective end sills perpendicularly
disposed to the center sill, the end sills having a width extending
symmetrically beyond either side of the center sill. Support
elements such as arms or gussets interconnect the ends of the end
sills with the center sill. The support elements are designed to
rest on support bearings affixed to the specially modified bolster
of a common truck interconnecting two adjacent car units or to
support bearings affixed to the end truck in the case of an end car
unit.
The individual articulated car units are just over the length of a
typical carried trailer or container, e.g., 40 feet or 45 feet. As
a result, the weight of the piggyback shipment is concentrated over
the railway trucks at the ends of the cars, thus obviating the need
for a heavy underframe to support the vertical load and
considerably reducing car weight. Cars of differing length, e.g.,
40 feet or 45 feet, can be mixed together in the railway car
assembly. Further, by doing away with the conventional car deck and
merely supplying a short platform at one end of the car units to
carry the trailer bogie in a trailer-on-flat-car (TOFC) use or by
affixing transverse bolsters to support the container ends in a
container-on-flatcar (COFC) use, additional weight is eliminated.
An adjustable saddle type platform for carrying a trailer bogie may
also be substituted for a fixed platform to accommodate trailers of
varying lengths.
Conventional cushioning devices such as pneumatic cushions or draft
gears are eliminated at the articulated connections, and the
so-called low-deck (28" diameter wheel) freight-car truck is used
to further reduce car height and weight.
When the cars are adapted to handle trailer shipments, i.e., TOFC
environment, the conventional trailer hitch is placed as near to
the end of the car units as possible, which permits the end of the
trailer to overhang the next car unit (the trailer king pin is
normally located 36 inches back from the front of the trailer). By
so doing, the rear platform for carrying the trailer bogie is
located ahead of the railway truck at the end of a car. At this
location, the trailer bogie platform may be placed at a height
below that of the railway truck wheels. In a most preferred
construction of the car, the platform is located 26 inches above a
rail, which is approximately 16 inches below the deck height of a
conventional flatcar. This construction permits a lowered profile
for the carried trailers and reduces the air resistance of the car
and lading thereby further reducing the consumption of fuel. The
lowered height of the trailer also results in a lower overall
center of gravity, with resulting improvement in dynamic operating
characteristics.
The car units may be of a length which permits only a small gap
(approximately 10") to exist between the piggyback shipments
thereby further reducing air resistance and resulting in a further
fuel savings. This reduced gap between adjacent trailers and
containers also tends to reduce pilferage while the shipment is en
route, since it is impossible to open the end door and remove
lading in such a narrow space.
The length of the overhang beyond a railway truck center at the
outer ends of the end car units is minimal and is generally less
than half that of the conventional 89-foot flatcar. There is no
overhang at the semi-permanent articulated intermediate
connections, i.e., the end of the car unit and the center of the
articulated connector are at a coincident location. Because of the
low overhang at the outer ends of the sections of car units and no
overhang at the intermediate connections, the tracking of this
railway car assembly has proven to be nearly perfect. Severe
lateral motion common to the 89-foot flatcar has been eliminated
providing a much smoother ride and reduced damage to the lading.
Further, because there is no free longitudinal motion in the
articulated connector between the car units, there is practically
no opportunity for slack action to occur which can result in lading
damage due to the longitudinal impacts resulting from the slack (or
train) action. The improved riding qualities of the articulated
equipment and the absence of the sever lateral truck movement will
also eliminate the air hose separations occasionally experienced at
high speeds in the operation of conventional piggy-back flatcar
equipment. Additionally, the number of air hose connections will be
greatly reduced in a train of this equipment. For example, in a
train of ten 10-articulated-car units, there will be only eleven
air hose connections between the locomotive, car sections and
caboose car. This compares to fifty-one air hose connections in a
train of conventional 89-foot piggyback equipment having the
ability to also carry one hundred trailers (the latter in 40'
lengths on conventional equipment).
Additional objects and advantages of the invention can be seen from
the following detailed description thereof with particular
reference being had to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates in side elevational view a railway car assembly
incorporating individual car units constructed in accordance with
the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates in top plan view one of the end cars illustrated
in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 illustrates in top plan view one of the intermediate cars
illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 illustrates in top plan view a railway truck which bridges
and supports adjacent ends of two cars connected with an
articulated connector.
FIG. 5 illustrates in an enlarged top plan view a preferred
modification to the structure illustrated in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 illustrates in top plan view the end of one of the end cars
illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 illustrates in top plan view a preferred modification of the
structure illustrated in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 illustrates in side elevational view the coupling of two
intermediate car units together.
FIG. 9 illustrates in side elevational view an end section of one
of the outer cars illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view taken along the line A,A' in
FIG. 7.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the lines C,C' of FIG.
7.
FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the lines B,B' of FIG.
7.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line D,D' of FIG.
7.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the lines E,E' of FIG.
6.
FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the lines F,F' of FIG.
6.
FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along the lines G,G' of FIG.
6.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along the lines H,H' of FIG.
4.
FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the lines I,I' of FIG. 5,
omitting articulated connector for clarity.
FIG. 19 is a top elevational view of a conventional truck assembly
supporting adjacent ends of interconnected cars.
FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the conventional truck assembly
taken along the line J,J' of FIG. 19.
FIG. 21 is a top plan view of an adjustable trailer bogie support
used in one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 22 is a side elevational view of the adjustable trailer bogie
support.
FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken along the lines K,K' of FIG.
21.
FIG. 24 is a front elevational view of a railway truck bolster
utilized in the present invention.
FIG. 25 is a top plan view of the truck bolster of FIG. 24.
FIG. 26 is a sectional view of the truck bolster taken along the
lines L,L' of FIG. 24.
FIG. 27 illustrates in side elevational view a side bearing
employed in the present invention.
FIG. 28a and 28b illustrate a multi-car assembly adapted for
carrying cargo containers.
FIG. 29 represents a sectional view taken along the lines M,M' of
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A typical railway car assembly 5 of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 1. A series of individual car units (12, 14 and
16) having a length substantially equal to that of a trailer 21
carried thereon are interconnected via a common truck 18 supporting
adjacent ends of contiguous cars. The intermediate cars 12 have, on
opposite ends, a male 20b and female 20a portion of an articulated
coupling 20 (FIG. 5), while the end cars 14 and 16 have a portion
of an articulated coupling at one end and a conventional railway
truck 15 supporting a conventional semi-automatic coupler 30 on the
other end. The conventional semi-automatic couplers allow the
assembly of articulately connected cars to be coupled as a unit
with conventional railway equipment, e.g. locomotives or other
cars. Similarly, two or more assemblies 5 of articulately connected
cars can be coupled together via couplings 30.
Each of the cars is constructed with a center sill 26 (FIGS. 2, 3)
extending substantially the entire length of the car. End sills 40
arranged perpendicularly to the center sill are provided at
opposite ends of the center sill 26. The end sills 40 have a width
exceeding that of the relatively narrow center sill 26 and extend
symmetrically beyond it. End sills 40 are interconnected with the
center sill 26 by side bearing support members which may take the
form of support arms 38, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 4 or,
preferably, the form of support gussets 50, as illustrated in the
FIG. 5 embodiment. The ends of end sills 40 and connected side
bearing support members, either arms 38 or gussets 50, are
supported on side support bearings 86 which are mounted on a truck
bolster 44 (FIGS. 19, 20). When gussets 50 are used as the side
bearing support members, additional reinforcement gussets 51 may be
added to provide added support for end sill 40, as illustrated in
FIG. 29.
Support bearings 86 are more fully illustrated in FIG. 27. They are
constructed with a pair of end closures 98 sandwiching a metal
roller 96 between resilient elements 94 and 95. The roller 96 is
supported on a surface 100 including a flat portion and inclined
portions. Resilient element 95 has a height less than that of
resilient element 94. Four support bearings 86 are provided on the
bolster 44 of each trunk 18 bridging adjacent cars, one pair being
provided for each end sill 40 of adjacent cars.
The end sill 40 and its interconnection with the preferred gusset
side supports 50 is best illustrated in FIG. 19, which also shows a
member 78 connected with support gusset 50. The bottom surface of
member 78 rests on a respective support bearing 86.
The railway trucks 18 and 15 are conventional, each incorporating a
pair of frames 42 in which are mounted a pair of axles 46
supporting small diameter, i.e., 28", wheels 43. The truck bolster
44 for truck 18, mounted between the frames 42, is provided with a
bearing support configured as bolster extension 92 (FIGS. 24-26)
which are either cast integral with bolster 44 or welded thereto.
The extensions 92 serve as a mounting for respective side bearings
86. A rectangular plate 99 (FIG. 20) mounted on and extending
outwardly of the bolster 44 may also be used to support the
bearings 86.
The articulated connector 20 is of conventional design and is
illustrated in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,604. A female
portion of this coupling 20a is provided at one end of each
interior car 12 while a male portion of the coupling 20b is
provided at the other end. Pin 49 locks the male and female
portions together. The female portion 20a of each articulated
connector 20 is attached with a male connector 33 (FIG. 8) adapted
to engage with a complementary female connector 35 provided on the
bolster 44 of truck 18. Thus, truck bolster 44 carries four side
bearings 86, the articulated coupling 20 and spans, as illustrated
in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, adjacent ends of interconnected cars 12.
The ends cars (14 and 16) and associated trucks 15 are best
illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, which represent alternative
embodiments. Each end car is provided with a conventional
semi-automatic coupler 30 and a truck carrying a body bolster 62
between frames 42 for supporting the center sill 26. A safety
platform 24 supported by a frame 25 is also provided. FIG. 6
employes a body bolster 67 which spans the width of truck 15 and a
full safety platform 24, which the alternate construction of FIG. 7
employs a narrower body bolster 63 and reduced size safety
platform.
As illustrated in FIG. 14, which is an end view of the center sill
26 and safey platform 24 of FIG. 6, safety platform 24 includes an
end sill 66 having arms which are connected with center sill 26 and
depend outwardly therefrom. Similarly, the corresponding view for
the safety platform 24 of FIG. 7 is FIG. 10 which illustrates an
end sill 56 and associated arms 57. In the preferred constructions
of FIGS. 7 and 10, end sill 56 is constructed with a pair of
channels 58 therein which allow passage of an air train line and
other components (not shown) therethrough.
FIG. 15 illustrates in sectional view the FIG. 6 body bolster 67
which forms another element of the safety platform frame 25 and
which serves to strengthen and stabilize the end of the outer car.
FIG. 12 illustrates the preferred FIG. 7 body bolster 63 which, as
noted, is shorter than body bolster 67. The shortened bolster 63
and smaller safety platform 24 illustrated in FIG. 7 achieve
further weight reductions over the FIG. 6 construction.
The center sill 26 is essentially constructed as a box section
(FIG. 13) having a fish-belly shape and cross-sectional which is
shallow at the ends of a car and deeper at its center, as
illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and 22. A top cover plate 69 is provided
along with web plates 68 and a bottom cover plate 70.
The conventional semi-automatic coupler 30 used on the end cars may
be provided with conventional shock absorbing or cushioning devices
54 (FIG. 6) such as hydraulic cylinders or draft gears fitted into
the center sill 26. FIG. 16 illustrates a suitable center sill
interior construction for housing a hydraulic cushioning device,
while FIG. 11 shows the same view when the center sill is fitted
with draft lugs 60 for a draft gear assembly (not shown).
Thus far the construction of the individual cars (12,14, 16) has
been described without reference to any particular environment of
use. The ensuing discussion will focus on specific construction
details which enable the cars to function in a TOFC or COFC
environment.
Referring first to the TOFC environment, the cars are provided with
a trailer hitch 28 mounted on one end of the center sill 26 and a
trailer loading platform or bogie support 32 attached to the other
end of the center sill 26 via cross bearers 34. The trailer hitch
28 is provided very near the end of the car and is substantially
over the articulated connector 20. With this arrangement of the
trailer hitch 28, the bogie platform can be located ahead of the
wheels 43 of the truck 18 permitting platform 32 to be lowered a
substantial amount. Typically, the top surface of platform 32 is
lower than the wheels 43 of truck 18 (FIG. 8) with the trailer
wheels 35 being several inches below the top of the center sill 26.
The trailer wheels 35 ride 26" above a rail. This in conjunction
with the small diameter height car truck wheels 43, permits an
overall reduction in the height of the trailers from the ground
thereby improving the center of gravity for the loaded cars and
lowering the overall wind resistance.
The attachment of the trailer load platform 32 to the center sill
26 is best illustrated in FIG. 17. Cross bearers 34 supporting
platform 32 are connected with the center sill 26. Diaphragms 71,
mounted within the center sill 26, provide added support where the
cross bearers 34 are attached to the center sill. A rub rail 74 is
provided on the upper surface of the load platform 32 for guiding
the tires 35 of a trailer 21, while support channels 76 extend the
length of the load platform 32 to provide additional support
thereto.
As shown in FIG. 8, the provision of a trailer hitch 28
substantially over the articulated connector 20 allows for the
positioning of a trailer 21 on a car 12 such that its front face
overlaps the adjacent car and is in substantial abutment with the
rear face of a trailer 21 mounted on the adjacent car. Typically,
the gap between adjacent trailers is 10" which is insufficient room
for the opening of the rear doors of a trailer. This presents a
significant deterrent to the pilferage of the lading. The close
compacting of the trailers also reduces wind resistance, thus
further contributing to the economics of operating the railroad car
assembly. Still further, the weight of the trailer is concentrated
on the track 18 which allows the cars 12 to be constructed with the
basic shape described above.
FIG. 9 shows the trailer hitch 28 for the end car 14 positioned so
that a trailer 21 does not extend over the semi-automatic coupler
30 thereby preventing any interference with subsequent railway cars
connected thereto.
As seen in FIGS. 1 through 3 and 8 the individual cars 12 have a
length substantially equal to the length of the trailers 12. Cars
can be constructed of lengths suitable for trailers currently in
use, e.g., slightly more than forty or forty-five feet, or for
other unconventional or yet to be devised trailer lengths. Cars of
different lengths can be conveniently mixed within the same railway
car assembly 5 as needed.
FIGS. 21 through 23 illustrate a modification to the fixed bogie
support platform 32. In this embodiment, the bogie platform is
adjustable and is attached to a saddle 83 which rides over center
sill 26. Adjustable platform 84 can be longitudinally moved along
the center sill 26 and guide rails 89 provided on webs 68 and
allows the accommodation of different sized trailers on the cars.
Adjustment pins or bolts 82 cooperate with apertures 90 in center
sill 26 (FIG. 22) to fix the adjustable platform 84 in place once a
desired position is established.
FIG. 28 illustrates a car constructed in accordance with the
present invention but adapted to handle containerized cargo, i.e.,
COFC. Support gussets 50 connected between center sill 26 and the
end sills 40 function to support the containers. Additional cargo
bolsters 101 may be provided along the length of the center sill 26
as needed. When the cars are used in a COFC environment, there is
no extension of the containerized cargo over the articulated
connector 20, as was true of the TOFC environment. However, the
containers are still relatively close together, typically being
separated by a distance of 10 to 12 inches.
As indicated above, all of the wheels utilized in the trucks 15 and
18 of the above described railway car assembly are of the so-called
low deck variety, i.e., 28" in diameter. These wheels further
reduce the overall weight of the railway car assembly while
reducing its height and wind resistance.
The typical sequence of constructing the cars making up the
articulated railway car assembly will now be described.
The top cover plate 66 of the center sill is placed on a jig (or
bed) and the web plates 68 are welded longitudinally to it. The web
plates 68 have been previously cut with the fish-belly shape shown
in FIGS. 8, 9 and 22, i.e., they have a substantially straight
profile along an upper edge, a full depth through a center section
with the profile of the bottom edge tapering to a lesser depth near
their ends where they flatten out over the truck area.
After the webs 68 have been welded in position, cross bearer
support diaphragms 71 are welded transversely between the web
plates at locations where the cross bearers 32 will be welded to
the webs 68. Slots in the center sill webs for brake levers, the
hand brake, or other railroad car equipment, are next cut into the
web 68 and these holes or slots are lined with reinforcement plates
welded into the contour of the slot. Thereafter, the bottom cover
plate 70 (FIG. 13) which has been previously bent to the contour of
the bottom profile of the web plates, is welded thereto to complete
the center sill section 26.
On the end car units, a heavy diaphragm (not shown) is welded
traversely between the web plates 68 as reinforcement at the body
bolster (63, FIG. 7; 67, FIG. 6) location prior to the application
of the bottom cover plate. Longitudinal sections (not shown) may be
welded to the heavy diaphragm to form a reinforcement spider for
the male body center plate 57 (FIGS. 6 and 7). Draft lugs 60 (FIG.
11) are also welded into the outer end of the center sill at this
time, assuming a draft gear will be used in conjunction with a
coupler 30.
The articulated connectors are next welded into the ends of the
center sill 26 with several welding passes around the sill. The end
sills 40 are next applied, together with the longitudinal bracings
(either gussets 50 and 51 or support arms 38). The bogie platforms
32 are applied to the center sill 26 at the same time. Bogie
platforms 32 have been previously assembled with two longitudinal
channel reinforcements 76 being coped into the cross bearers 34
prior to the cover or deck plate 32 being applied. The tire rub
rails 74 are also applied to the deck plate at this time. The whole
assembly is attached to the center sill by welding the cross-bearer
assembly to the center sill at the points where the reinforcing
diaphragms 71 are located within the center sill 26.
Brackets (not shown) are next applied for mounting the usual hand
brake, air brake valves, air reservoirs, air train lines, etc.
which are conventionally used in railway equipment. These items
(not illustrated) are then mounted on the car and the end car
receives its safety crossover platform 24 constructed in the manner
illustrated in either FIGS. 6 or 7. The car is then mounted on the
previously assembled 28-inch diameter wheel freight car trucks 15
or 18 and the trailer hitch 28 is applied, the brake lines
connected to the air equipment, and the air hose connections
applied to complete the assembly. The completed car is then painted
and stenciled.
Tests have been conducted on the articulated railway car assembly
described. On curves of up to 16.degree. of curvature and under
conditions of heavy buff and pull forces, the cars did not exhibit
any tendency to jack-knife or pull off the curve which is typically
experienced in the operation of conventional 89-foot piggyback
equipment. The improved riding qualities are attributed to the fact
that the trucks are located at the very ends of short cars.
Additionally, because the pivot point of the coupling is at the
extreme ends of the cars, the tendency of the cars to jack-knife in
a compression situation is greatly reduced over the conventional
piggyback equipment where the bolster pivot point is some distance
back from the coupling point.
A railway car assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings
of the invention typically achieves a 625-ton reduction in the
weight of a train capable of handling 100 trailers, i.e., from
3,800 tons for conventional 89-foot piggyback carriers to 3,175
tons for the articulated car train described above. This weight
reduction is significant, achieving significant decreases in fuel
consumption and locomotive requirements.
Although the above discussion has been directed towards the use of
the light weight articulated cars in connection with piggyback
service (either TOFC or COFC), it should be apparent that the same
concept can be employed in equipment for the handling of almost any
type of commodity. Moreover, additional modifications to the
described structures will be readily apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art. Accordingly, all embodiments described are
exemplary and the present invention limited solely by the scope of
the claims appended hereto.
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